Method for supplying microcommands to multiple independent functional units having a next microcommand available during execution of a current microcommand

• US 5,159,674 A
• Filed: 05/17/1990
• Issued: 10/27/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Schonberger, Franz, Stadlmeier, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harrity, Paul
• Application Number:
  US07/526,544
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 395/375
• US Class Current: 712/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/28 using burst mode transfer, e.g. direct memory access DMA, cycle steal G06F13/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/268 Microinstruction selection not based on processing results, e.g. interrupt, patch, first cycle store, diagnostic programs

Abstract

A device for supplying microcommands for at least two mutually independent functional units in an integrated microprogrammed electronic module. The device includes a respective microcommand address register and a respective microinstruction register for each of the functional units, and a memory arrangement connected to the functional units which includes at least one microcommand memory, wherein the number of the functional units is greater than the number of microcommand memories, and a method of operating the device.

Claims

1. Method for transferring data between a plurality of data sources and data sinks via channels by means of microcommands controlling at least three mutually independent functional units of a multichannel direct memory access system in an integrated microprogrammed electronic module, each functional unit connected with a respective microcommand address register and a respective microinstruction register;

microcommand memory means directly connected with the microinstruction registers;

a sequencer connected to the microcommand memory means and to said microcommand address registers;

the method which comprises the steps of;

(a) selecting any one of said functional units for data transfer,

(b) forming during execution of a current microcommand, by means of the sequencer and based upon test and control information, an address of a microcommand following the current microcommand,

(c) loading the following microcommand directly into the respective microinstruction register from said microcommand memory means and loading the address of the following microcommand into the respective microcommand address register from the sequencer, and

(d) controlling with the following microcommand the functional unit which has been selected.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein an interim memory is connected to the sequencer, said microcommand memory, and said microcommand address registers, which further comprises the steps of:

(c1) interim-storing in the interim memory said address of the microcommand following the current microcommand, formed during execution of the current microcommand, and

(c2) addressing a read cycle in the microcommand memory means which supplies the following microcommand.

3. Method according to claim 2, which comprises the steps of, at the end of the execution of the microcommand, entering the following newly read microcommand from the memory controlling, via control means, the respective functional unit into the corresponding microinstruction register, and entering the corresponding last-mentioned address from the interim memory into the corresponding microcommand address register.